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Chicago resident was the winner of 177.6 million dollar Big Pay Day jackpot from the Saturday, March 15th drawing! The ticket was purchased at a local Thornton’s Gas station. Coincidence? I THINK NOT, considering he’s been playing the lottery for years. Some people may say it’s a waste of time and money. Not for Mr. John Thomas who never spends more than 1$ on a lottery ticket. Mr. Thomas is a former magician, and current traveling circus clown. He plans to continue working and has high hopes to having 11 beautiful children and start a family circus business! On top of the family business John has plans to give back to his own community, (by opening a music foundation for kids.) John stated earlier, “it only takes 1.” This is very true for Mr. Thomas it only takes one time and APPARENTLY only 1 dollar!

The winning numbers have sentimental meaning for John. 8- because he met his wife on November 8th. 11- John hopes to have 11 kids. 22- Because it’s his lucky number. 23-it’s Michael Jordan’s Lucky Number. 31- Days he will never see in February. Why Powerball 10? Well it just so happens that John Thomas was on his way to Thornton’s Gas station for some milk and bread. He decided to buy his ticket. This was the 10th time he’s been to Thornton’s to play this lottery.

Quality guy. Mr. Thomas is a former magician, and a current traveling circus clown. He plans to continue working and has high hopes to having 11 beautiful children and start a family circus business! On top of the family business John has plans to give back to his community. We all know actor Jack Black? Well He’s got nothing on this guy. John inspires to open a music foundation, and refers to it with having the same concept as the School of Rock.

While John’s waiting to hear congratulations from family members, he also plans to travel to places that he’s never seen, like Europe. During a press conference John stated, “It’s a game of luck, and it only takes 1. The Lottery is controlled chaos, but it’s the nature of the beast- and it does change how people live.”

As John would say.. “And the Rest is History.” A trip to the local gas station for bread and milk, turns into a life changing experience for tatted up Chicago resident John Thomas!

Nail Biting Atmosphere..Or was it?

Just like the day John Thomas won the lottery, it was an 80 degree day in Chicago, and an absolute sauna in the conference room. Reporters were lined up for hours waiting to get appointed to the press conference to speak to Chicago’s new millionaire. As the reporters filed in, snatching the best spots to get as close to Mr. Thomas as humanly possible, I patiently awaited. Than I pounced my way past a pack of hungry reporters going at each other like starved hyenas. At this rate you would think President Barack Obama was coming in for an interview. After more waiting..Let me remind you this room was hotter than a red line during rush hour on a summer afternoon. The time had come. Making his way to the front podium was Mr. John Thomas himself. To my surprise he looked rather ordinary, and very at ease might I add. He was sporting a black and white argyle, with his tattoos peeking out from the sleeve. At this point I was very taken back. As the questions started piling in, the reporters seemed more on edge than John. I felt as if he was at a family reunion shooting the news with some old friends! He was actually quite amusing, cracking jokes here and there remaining very modest. He took the questions very well and answered them honestly. He even got a taste of the absurd interview questions. I did what I needed to do and tipped my hat off to John. Touche’ Handled it like a champ.

Colts owner Jim Irsay was released from jail after a DUI arrest. Police also say that he was in possession of a controlled substance. The owner was arrested Sunday. Authorities pulled him over for 1. driving too slow and 2. stopping with failure of a turning signal.

Jim Irsay than admitted to being highly addicted to prescription drugs, and has seeked out previous professional help.

Due to the fact this is the Colts owners first offense,one of the policies states,

“Unless the available facts clearly indicate egregious circumstances, significant bodily harm or risk to third parties, or an immediate and substantial risk to the integrity and reputation of the NFL, a first offense generally will not result in discipline until there has been a disposition of the proceeding.”

The Colts also than responded by saying “this will not affect Jim Irsay’s 100% ownership of the team”.

Irsay spent 14 hours in custody, and is scheduled for a court hearing on March 26th.

Clearly the green uniforms did not bring the luck of the Irish to our beloved Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls took on Oklahoma City Thunder Monday night at home. While others were winding down from Chicago St. Patrick day festivities, fans gathered in the United Center to catch the Bulls rocking their green sleeved uniforms!

The Bulls started the game off hot. Going back and forth with OKC. Not dominating, but keeping up. By the end of the first quarter, the Thunder were only up by a basket.

Moving into the second quarter both teams came back in full swing. They went basket for basket, and continued to keep it interesting. At the end of the second quarter the Bulls manage to keep it a close game 47-45 Thunder.

At the half Kevin Durant described the game as “scrappy”. Since when is any Bulls game not scrappy?

Chicago continued going back and forth with OKC, but at the end of the third were still unable to gain the lead leaving the score 74-67. As the end of the fourth quarter approached so did the chance of the Bulls gaining the lead. At one point in time the bulls went a little over 6 minutes without scoring, missing roughly 10 straight shots. Unfortunately Chicago continued trailing Oklahoma City. The final score Oklahoma City 97 Chicago Bulls 85.

Although the Bulls are ending their St. Patrick’s Day without the “W”, they played a great game. Chicago’s top performer was J. Noah 9 Pts, 12 Reb, 9 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk. Just missed his fourth triple-double of the season and a player who in my opinion should be defensive player of the year. And of coarse K. Durant for Oklahoma City with 35 Pts, 12 Reb, 5 Ast. Who arguably should be MVP. Russell Westbrook threw up 17 points after sitting out the previous day to rest his surgically repaired knee.

Durant was able to bring his streak of most consecutive 25-point games in a
single season to 32, following Chicago’s own Michael Jordan at 40 during the 1986-87 season!

Rain snow or shine the Metra for the most part is running. I said running not on time! If there is one thing I know about the Metra, it’s the good ole’ Metra delays.

One of the WORST delays I’ve had to deal with so far was a little over an hour. So basically doubling my commute time. It was winter..of coarse. By far the worst season according to commuters. It’s cold, wet, dirty, and LATE. Trains brake down, switches don’t switch, and you’re always waiting for a train to pass. Well believe it or not I hit the trifecta. The train in front of me broke down, we had to connect to it (that was a joke), and push it the rest of the way. Oh no it did not stop there. Than the switches began failing so we found ourselves going backwards at times just to get going in the right direction. A total mess is what it is. What are you going to do. Well I’ll tell you. Especially if there is a storm, plan on catching an earlier train. The train before your usual should suffice. But do not start off your day in a bind because of a Metra delay.

Winter in my opinion is the worst season for the Metra, but there is no winning really. In the summer the heat puts a beating on the cars too. Brakes malfunctioning, late trains, you know the deal. Expect delays. End of story.

Due to the fact of my frequent Metra rides it is also in the riders best intrust to get to know the conductors! And yes, I am talking first name basis! It’s nice to know that there will always be one friendly face. It also comes in handy. There have been times where I’ve forgotten my train pass, and had no cash on me. Luckily the conductor knew I had a monthly pass for that month and I was able to ride the train. Talk about coming in handy right? Another thing..I’ll get goodies. I’ve been handed chocolate covered goodies, because the conductor is also close friends with an editable arrangements worker, who happens to hop on the line after work! SCORE! Plus it’s always nice to have someone to talk to once in a while! Trust me..It helps.

Figure out how often you are going to be commuting, and decide which deal is the best for you. When it comes to ticket pricing, commuting can get very pricey. The fact that the “student” discount is only offered to high school students doesn’t help either. I mean seriously. How many high school students are going to be commuting back and forth to Chicago, especially everyday?! EXACTLY. Anyways I commute almost every day, so my bang for my buck is a monthly pass. Another good option is a 10-ride. Do the math, weigh out your options before you go spending all your money on your train fair. Also keep in mind, if you buy your ticket at Union Station it’s cheaper! DON’T FORGET!

Rule #2. Seating arrangements. Anyone who is anyone who commutes knows that where you sit on the Metra means everything. I have LITERALLY had the worst experience in this. When it comes to picking a seat I like to stick to a couple things. The time you take the Metra is definitely a contributing factor. If you’re an early bird like me, than we’re usually dealing with business men, lawyers, accountings, computer geeks, in other words the working class.

I’ve learned that in the early hours of the metra usually every car is a quiet car. BUT don’t let that fool you. The quiet car..means quiet, so put a cork in it. Out of all people I’ve broken this rule a few times. Don’t worry I’ve learned my lesson. Learn to respect the rules of the quiet car. If you’re looking to take a cat nap, or catch some Z’s than thats the way to go.

If you are one of those people who does not want to wake up next to a stranger, or worse..someone sleeping on you, than the upper level of the Metra is for you. MY ULTIMATE favorite seat. The upper left back corner seat. WHY? isn’t it obvious. It’s a double seater. But everyone knows that its a one person seat. No one would ever dare to sit with someone in the upper corner seats! Unless they’re invited. But we don’t worry about that. You get a whole window to yourself, and a whole seat. It gets better..No one right next to you, or remotely close. The upper seats are winning.

If you’re on a train that isn’t during rush hour than hey the bottom seats are always good too. Got to switch it up once in a while. I also tend to stay clear of the orange cars. You know the ones. Why is it that they manage to make me feel like I’ve stepped into a time machine back to the 80’s. It’s probably because the Metra cars ARE from the 80’s!

Never be afraid to get up and move. Odds are there is a better seat. Do not endure the pain of a sniffler, or the “music is so loud I can recite every lyric,” the kicking the back of your seat constantly person, someone eating strongly scented food stinking up the whole car, the person who didn’t follow my rule #1 and is now trying to read over your shoulder, or the creepy guy who has absolutely nothing better to do than to stare. We’ve all been there..Think before you sit!

Rule #1. NEVER get on the Metra empty handed. And when I say empty handed I mean it in a couple different ways. You’re going to need your bare necessities. Some..entertainment. Especially for a girl like me, who is on the Metra for a little over an hour and 20 minutes at a time. (SERIOUSLY). What I usually like to keep on deck: a cup of coffee, a Chicago Tribune, an IPOD/Pandora, H20, a book, and a light snack. With that being said..yes it is unnecessary to have every single item every ride, but it can be the difference between a ride to your doom, or your destination. So pick your poison.

If you aren’t a coffee drinker, might I suggest some caffeinated tea! Some personal favorites; vanilla chai, a black awake tea, green, mango, or raspberry. YUM.

If you aren’t a fan of reading the paper. Grab a magazine, or a puzzle book. If those aren’t your cup of tea either than take advantage of our 21st century technology! There’s only like 1000 apps you can download right on your phone. Examples of free APPS- The Redeye, NFL Mobile, Shortlist Magazine, Stylist Magazine, AUX Magazine, Popular Science, ABC News, CBS Sports, ESPN, NHL, NBA, and honestly I could go all day. You like it, there’s an app. Including book apps and magazines. So no excuses.

As far as music goes. Being a college student, who commutes everyday to the City, I’m pinching pennies. When I don’t have my IPOD, Pandora is my best friend. YES..I hate Pandora commercials, but hey! The best things in life are free. So we’ll take it! Otherwise there’s programs on your phone that will allow you to download music. There you go.

HEY GIRLYS! I’ve really been into this book series. Makes my commuting time FLY! The author is Catherine Clark.

When it comes to snacking on the train keep it light. Feeling salty? Trail mix is always good. Sweet? Try fruit. Any kind! Apples, bananas, strawberries, cuties (small oranges), etc. I”m also a big fan of dried cherries. Delicious, and not a mess. Pea Pods are easy to pack too just throw them in a sandwich bag! Speaking of sandwiches you can’t go wrong with a ham and cheese, or PB&J. Fast and simple.